


Connecting

by sykilik101



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: AAML - Freeform, F/M, pokeshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:54:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23854159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sykilik101/pseuds/sykilik101
Summary: Misty's flight home is minutes away, but it doesn't stop her from giving Ash a goodbye he can't quite comprehend. Oneshot Pokeshipping
Relationships: Kasumi | Misty/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Kudos: 12





	Connecting

It happened so suddenly that he almost didn’t believe it even had. As Misty slowly pulled back and released her hold on his shoulders, however, the massive blush on her cheeks and the expression that couldn’t decide between bashful or hopeful were the evidence that it hadn’t just been a figment of his imagination. She tucked an invisible strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes dancing back and forth between him and every other random person in the airport.

He wanted to call her name, to evoke out of himself _some_ sort of reaction, but all he could manage was a slack-jawed expression. He instinctively touched his mouth, that soft tingling sensation still fresh to him. Misty seemed intrigued by this, her eyes honed in on the way his index finger traced along his lower lip. Ash was thankful for the silence between them; he needed the reprieve to gather his thoughts, and any disruption of that silence-

“Ash?”

-would be a disaster.

“What was that?!”

He wasn’t sure if Misty’s new expression matched the shock that he felt, but given her predilection for intense emotions, he was willing to believe they were about equal. Thankfully, as was their old habit, his flare up ignited her own.

“What do you mean, what was that?”

“Why’d you have to go and...do that?!” The sear across his face intensified as he found himself unable to even say the word. Misty, ever the Ash Ketchum expert, clearly picked up on what he was saying as she also looked like her heart had taken refuge in the back of her throat.

“Be...because I was trying to say goodbye, Ash, that’s why!”

“But that’s not how you’ve ever said goodbye before!”

“Well, I wanted this time to be different! You got a problem with that?”

“Why did it...why did you…”

In his fluster the words scattered across his brain, unable to connect into a sentence that expressed what he was feeling. She stood before him holding a hand to her elbow, eyes shivering as she chewed the inside of her lip, the same lip that had just-

“The plane at Gate A8 heading for the Kanto region will be boarding soon.”

The voice-over reverberated through the halls as the crowd around them began making its way to the gate. It was enough of a distraction for Misty, who perked up in realization. “That’s my flight, Ash, so I should probably...just…” Before she even finished speaking she had already begun backing away, her mouth twisting awkwardly as she spoke. 

Ash, however, had no intention of letting his best friend get away without explaining herself. “Wait, you can’t go yet!” Reaching forward he snatched her wrist, halting her in her tracks. She glanced down at his hold on her before connecting their eyes together again, surprise etched in her irises. She was allowed to be shocked all she wanted, but it wouldn’t stop Ash from getting some answers out of her. “Misty, you wouldn’t…” The words felt lumpy in his mouth, but he willed them out. “You wouldn’t kiss me for no reason, and you wouldn’t kiss me just to say goodbye! I wanna know why you did it!”

“I already told you, I just wanted this goodbye to be different!”

Mistyism of the Day: Sticking to the same argument = either she can’t come up with a better one, or she had a secret reason that she wouldn’t disclose. He had never admitted it to her, but she was pretty good at having solid logic behind whatever argument she was trying to defend when it mattered; when she didn’t, it was pretty easy to tell. However, none of her usual “I’m losing so let’s yell at Ash more” habits were present, so there must be something he wasn’t privy to that was fueling her on.

At this rate he wouldn’t get anywhere with her, as her stubbornness rivaled his own. There was one way he knew that would probably make her spill the beans, but he was loath to use this tactic, as it opened himself up to be teased even more than usual. However, desperate times called for desperate measures, and the risk was worth it if it meant solving the riddle of the kiss.

With a small sigh he softened his eyes as much as he could, easing his hold on her wrist. “Please, Misty? You’re one of my best friends, and I can usually figure out what you’re thinking, but I’m kind of clueless here. I mean…” His vocal chords were threatening to go on strike as a click in his brain went off, “I can...think of a reason or two why you might have, but I’m not sure.”

He couldn’t tell what stunned him more, the way her expression eased up or the idea that his plea might have worked. He could see the gears in her mind churning, her hand clenching as decisions were being made in that head of hers. It wasn’t until pink worked its way into her cheeks that she decided to speak up.

“Ash, it’s just...sometimes, people don’t always say what they’re feeling because they’re scared.”

“You? Scared?” Misty perked up at this response. “Besides bug Pokémon, when have you _ever_ been scared of something? You’re always really brave when it really counts and you always step up to a challenge.” She’d clearly been irked by his bug comment, but otherwise the pink on her face grew to red as she processed his compliment. He knew he was laying it on a little thick, but he could tell he was getting closer to figuring out what she was thinking. All she needed was another little push. “If something is scaring you, I wanna know. Maybe I can help.”

She took a step forward and he wondered if she was planning on kissing him again. The look in her eyes and the way she nibbled at her lip made him think so, but she remained motionless. “Well…” she started, surprising Ash by working her wrist out of his hand, sliding her fingers between his. He’d held her hand before, but the way the tips of her fingers gently pressed into his knuckles added a different kind of pressure in his chest. His internal organs were prioritizing excessive heart poundings over oxygen as his head went light, his face growing more flush with each passing second. Misty’s eyes found his again, shaky for a moment before her flare returned. “Ash, why do you _think_ a girl would kiss a boy?”

“Alright, you two, what exactly is going on here?”

A familiar voice tore the two out of their moment. “Oh, Officer Jenny!””

She crossed her arms, leering at them suspiciously. “A number of citizens have reported you two causing a commotion. I’ll have to ask you to control yourselves before I’m forced to apprehend you.”

Ash felt a guilty knot tightening in his stomach, and he guessed by the nervous look on Misty’s face that she felt the same. “Sorry about that.”

Officer Jenny’s eyes softened as she turned to him. “Young man, why do you look so familiar?” She held her chin in her hand, cocking her head to the side. “Are you from Kalos?”

“I’m actually from Kanto. I’m Ash from Pallet Town, and I-”

“Oh!” The good officer suddenly pressed her fist into her open hand, realization dawning on her. “That’s right, I met you back when I was in charge of Cerulean City!”

“Cerulean...oh!” Memories of a stolen vacuum and hose flooded his mind, recalling the aftermath of another of Team Rocket’s plans. “That was you? What are you doing here in Kalos?”

Officer Jenny ran her hand behind her head, an uncharacteristic sheepishness splayed on her face. “Well, Ash, the Jenny in charge is sick today, and I happened to be here on vacation, so I’m filling in for her for the day. I was lucky that her uniform happened to fit me.” She angled herself from side to side, showing how well the uniform suited her.

“I’m pretty sure it would fit every other Jenny, too.”

Being so close to Misty was the only reason he heard her, and he held back a snort as Misty feigned ignorance by glancing around the airport. The mumble must have caught Officer Jenny’s attention nonetheless. “And you’re Misty from Cerulean City, right? You’ve built up quite a reputation as a skilled gym leader.”

Misty’s hand shot to the back of her head, rubbing it bashfully. “Well, you know, all part of being a great trainer. I’m actually heading back there now. I was visiting Ash here while he’s participating in the Kalos League.”

Rather than responding, Officer Jenny eyed the two for a moment before her gaze went south, the corner of her mouth curling upward. “I can see that neither of you want to leave each other.”

Baffled at her comment the two followed her gaze, only to be reminded that they’d never let go of each other’s hand. They leapt back with a jolt, a fresh shade of red radiating from their cheeks. Officer Jenny giggled as the duo fought a losing battle to regain their composure. “You two may not want to say goodbye just yet, but if you’re heading back to Cerulean City, you ought to be leaving right away. The plane’s just about to depart.”

“Thank you, Officer Jenny, I will.”

“And you,” she turned to Ash, holding up an authoritative finger, “no more disturbances in the airport, understood?”

“Y-yes, ma’am!”

With a nod she waved as she returned to her post. As he watched her walk away, Ash didn’t even have to look to know Misty was sneering at him. “Yeah, Ash, don’t cause a ruckus again.”

“It wasn’t all _my_ fault, Misty.”

The redhead giggled, but then the two were left to the airport ambiance. In truth, Brock was probably wondering where Misty was, and she couldn’t delay for much longer before they missed their flight. Ash turned to her, hoping to find the words to convey how he felt. He willed himself to say anything that would let him hear her voice just a little longer, but she beat him to the punch.

“I’m really gonna miss you, Ash.”

Anything Ash could have said died in his throat as the sincerity in her voice and eyes left him in awe. Her jaw flexed and her exhale was shaky. Slowly she began to turn, but Ash reached forward and took hold of her wrist once more. Confusion melded with the hesitation on her face, but she made no effort to pull away. “What are you-”

He didn’t allow her to finish before he kissed her on the cheek.

Her sincerity gave way to shock as her fingers touched the spot where he kissed her. “Ash, what was…”

His hands shoved themselves into his pocket, a bashful grin working its way onto his lips. “Why do you think a boy would kiss a girl?” He couldn’t bring himself to keep his gaze on her, feeling a searing hot flush in his cheeks. The sudden ache in his chest left him a boy with a hollow heart hammering away inside, with no immediate solution to ease the discomfort.

It was a blissful wonder, then, when Misty hurled herself forward, pulling him into a fierce hug. It was so potent that Ash’s hands shot out of his pockets to balance himself, but they quickly found themselves on her lower back. The realization that this could be the last embrace they shared for a long while compelled him to pull her closer, savoring how she felt against him.

“This is the final call for the flight departing for the Kanto region. All passengers, please report to Gate A8.”

Misty had murmured something, but over the sound of the voice, he hadn’t quite heard her. “What was that?”

Misty’s face was even redder now than when she’d kissed him, though she smiled and shook her head. “I’ll tell you next time you visit, okay?”

Her voice was low and sweet, and it sent a giddy jolt through him. He smiled and nodded, giving her one last hug before he finally released his hold on her. He inwardly swooned at the way she held onto his hand until the last second. “I’ll see you then.”

Misty’s blush fit perfectly with the elated grin she wore, giving him a wave before she made her way onto the escalator. As the top of her head disappeared he ran to the edge of it, looking down and waving at her. “I’ll be back soon!”

That smile of hers gave way to crinkled eyes as she waved back at him. “I’ll be waiting!”

Eventually the last bit of Misty vanished from his sight. His heart ached as he sat with the reality that Misty was gone again, but it was quickly replaced by the elation of eventually reuniting with her and hearing what she had to say. He wasn’t sure what it was she’d whispered, but he had an idea. After all, it was just as she said:

_“Why do you think a girl would kiss a boy?”_

**xxxxx**

Brock turned to her as the two finally sat in their seats. “So did you finally tell him?”

Misty leaned back, replaying the events of the past twenty minutes over and over in her mind. “Yeah, but he didn’t hear me, so I told him he’d have to come see me again to find out what I said.”

He nodded in response, leaving Misty grateful at his lack of inquiry. She wanted to savor the memories for a while, and for her that meant not discussing everything that had just happened. Not yet, anyway.

“By the way, Misty.”

She turned to him, suspicious of the smirk he was suddenly flaunting. “Yeah?”

He crossed his arms, seemingly on the cusp of a chuckle. “It’s about time.”

Misty could have sworn she was done blushing for the day, but leave it to Brock to remind her of why she’d gone red so often. With her own arms crossed she turned to stare out the window, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her flushed.

“Shut up, Brock.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by this Twitter thread:
> 
> bit.ly/2yIgRlZ
> 
> If you wanna see what inspired this story, give it a look.


End file.
